Second Quarter Highlights

• Strong results driven by higher prices, E&P volumes and increased LNG margins

• Group total operating profit up 92% to £1 431 million

• Earnings per share up 101% to 24.1p

• Significant progress in expanded exploration programme

• Fifth exploration success in pre-salt Brazilian Santos Basin 

BG Group's Chief Executive, Frank Chapman said: 

"I am delighted to report that BG Group has delivered another strong business performance and continues to create material value through our exploration programme with successful results in Brazil, Algeria, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago and the UK."

Business Review

Group

Second quarter

Revenue and other operating income increased by 49% to £3 216 million, reflecting higher volumes in E&P and higher commodity prices.

Total operating profit increased by 92% to £1 431 million primarily due to higher commodity prices and higher E&P volumes, partially offset by higher gas costs at Comgas. 

Cash generated by operations increased by £759 million to £1 588 million primarily due to higher operating profits.

Capital investment in the quarter of £634 million, excluding acquisitions of £316 million, comprised continuing investment in Africa, Middle East and Asia (£254 million), Europe and Central Asia 
(£217 million) and Americas and Global LNG (£163 million).

Half year

Total operating profit increased by 80% to £2 833 million reflecting higher commodity prices and higher E&P and LNG volumes.

Net finance costs were £8 million lower due to increased cash balances.

The Group's effective tax rate (including BG Group's share of joint ventures and associates tax) was 43% for the half year.

Cash generated by operations increased by £1 239 million to £3 154 million. As at 30 June 2008, net funds were £629 million.

Capital investment in the half year of £1 281 million, excluding acquisitions of £316 million, comprised continuing investment in Africa, Middle East and Asia (£561 million), Europe and Central Asia 
(£396 million) and Americas and Global LNG (£324 million).

The Board has declared an interim dividend of 4.68p per share, payable on 12 September to shareholders on the register at 8 August.

Second quarter business highlights

In June, BG Group announced its offer to acquire all of the issued shares in Origin Energy Limited (Origin) at A$15.50 cash per share by way of a formal bid, valuing Origin's ordinary equity at approximately A$13.8 billion (£6.7 billion) fully diluted.

The Origin acquisition is driven by BG Group's integrated gas strategy, linking competitively-priced exploration and production resources to downstream markets and power generation assets. 

 Exploration and Production (E&P)

Additional operating and financial data is given on page 28.

Second quarter

E&P total operating profit increased by 73% to £976 million reflecting higher commodity prices and increased production volumes.

Production volumes increased by 2%, held back by one-off outages in the UK (Grangemouth industrial action, Armada maintenance) and India (Panna outage).

The average realised gas price per produced therm in the UK rose by 8.9 pence to 32.8 pence. Guidance for the gas year remains at 34p for contracted volumes.

Unit operating expenditure increased by 50 pence to £3.24 ($6.47) per boe principally due to the impact of commodity prices on royalty costs; and tariffs.

The exploration charge of £94 million is £22 million higher than 2007, principally due to higher drilling expense.

Capital investment, including acquisitions, in the quarter of £828 million included expenditure in Australia (£320 million), Tunisia (£111 million), UK (£84 million), Egypt (£82 million), Kazakhstan (£49 million), Trinidad and Tobago (£36 million), Norway (£33 million), Brazil (£29 million), Oman (£22 million), Canada (£20 million) and India (£19 million).

Half year

E&P total operating profit increased by £727 million to £1 918 million reflecting higher commodity prices and increased production volumes, partially offset by a higher exploration charge. Production volumes have increased primarily at the Buzzard field in the UK and the Tapti field in India.

Unit operating expenditure increased by 40 pence to £3.01 ($5.99) per boe principally due to the impact of commodity prices on royalty costs.

The exploration charge of £191 million is £63 million higher than 2007 reflecting higher well write-off charges.

Capital investment, including acquisitions, in the half year of £1 410 million included expenditure in Australia (£320 million), Tunisia (£259 million), UK (£186 million), Egypt (£187 million), Kazakhstan 
(£96 million), Trinidad and Tobago (£89 million), Norway (£46 million), Brazil (£46 million), India 
(£43 million), Canada (£38 million) and Oman (£31 million).

Second quarter business highlights

In June, BG Group announced a further new oil discovery in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. 
The exploration well, known as Guará, discovered oil and gas within the BM-S-9 concession area 
(BG Group 30%) and is the second discovery within this concession. This well is BG Group's fifth consecutive drilling success in the deep water pre-salt Santos Basin since the Group began its drilling programme in 2005. 

In Algeria, the RM-1 exploration well on the Hassi Ba Hamou Permit (HBH Permit) (BG Group 36.75% and operator) was a gas discovery. This will be appraised as part of the work programme due under 
the second prospecting period of the HBH Permit.

In Norway, there have been discoveries at the Jordbær and Pi North wells in the North Sea. At the Ververis well in the Barents Sea